Silent Love
by Satanisafangirl20
Summary: What if the killing curse didn't leave Harry unscathed? What if it took his hearing? Harry has only known silence. His whole life, he's struggled to communicate with those around him. Now that he is having strange feelings towards his best friend, Draco, how is he supposed to find knew words to describe his thoughts? Slow-burn; friends to lovers; Deaf!Harry; Harry is deaf; Drarry;
1. Chapter 1 (07-14 18:00:48)

**Ok, I really liked this when I thought it up, but I didn't do it justice from what I originally planned out. I'm fixing and reposting all the chapters. This is purely because I don't like how I wrote it and I want to fix it to make myself feel better about the story, and it will make it easier to continue knowing that the quality will be consistent.**

Prologue

Baby Harry laid in his crib, tears streaming down his face. His mother was dead on the floor, and his father's body was lying at the foot of the stairs. Severus walked into the house, stepping over his old rival's corpse and walked up the stairs. He saw Lily's body on the ground, her once lovely green eyes staring blankly into nothingness. His loud sobs filled the air as he cradled his childhood love. Harry couldn't hear a thing.

Chapter 1

Harry was used to being deaf. He was fluent in sign language thanks to his elementary school's outreach program, which was designed to help students with disabilities learn with the rest of the kids. His aid, Natasha, would sit in class next to him and translate the teacher's words to sign. When it was vocabulary day, she would write out the words and teach him the sign for them. He still had his voice, but he was too afraid to use it after living with the Dursleys for so long. He laughed sometimes, like when Natasha made jokes at Dudley's expense. He didn't speak sign. None of the Dursleys cared to learn it. They left a list of chores taped to the fridge. If they weren't done by the time given at the bottom of the list, he was punished.

He had found out he was deaf quite early in life. The Dursleys had begrudgingly taken him to the doctor when he was extremely sick and they didn't want Dudley to catch it. It turned out to just be a case of pneumonia, but his physical had shown vision impairment and almost non-existent hearing. He had gotten glasses, and the Dursleys had gotten books on raising children with hearing disabilities that were promptly thrown away, along with a phone number for a person who could teach them sign so they could communicate with Harry, which was also thrown away.

Harry wasn't dumb. Far from it actually. He was years ahead of his grade in reading. Natasha saw to that when he was punished for not knowing how to read the lists on the fridge. He learned how to read clocks, analog and digital, by first grade. His school taught time reading in third. Dudley always beat him up when he caught Harry laughing. After Dudley ended up breaking his arm and the nurse had to set it in a cast, he stopped laughing. Natasha was moved to another student after she tried to get something done about Harry's living situation and was told, "mind your own business," by her boss. After that, he didn't communicate much, only the bare essentials like having to go to the bathroom, needing food or water, or saying that he understood.

This morning, Aunt Petunia woke him up like she always did. She opened his cupboard door and shook him awake. Harry sat up quickly and fumbled to put on his glasses. Before he even had time to think, his arm was grabbed and he was dragged out of his closet and into the kitchen. Aunt Petunia yanked him over to the refrigerator and pointed harshly at his list for the day. He straightened his glasses and read what his first task for the day would be.

Laundry.

 _That's easy enough_ , Harry thought. _At least I don't have to make breakfast this time. That was a disaster last time._ He walked into the laundry room, narrowly avoiding the leg Dudley, his cousin, stuck out from underneath the table to trip him. Dudley was at the kitchen table was counting wrapped boxes on the table. _Oh, that's right, it's Dudley's birthday,_ Harry thought. He continued on into the laundry room. The basket of dirty clothes was almost as big as he was, but he still managed to lift it and carry it to the washer where he started sorting the clothes by color. After filling the washer with the first load and turning it on, he headed back to the kitchen to check the list.

Get the mail.

The Dursleys must be in a good mood today, giving him such an easy list. Harry went into the hallway and gathered the mail from the carpet in front of the door. He shuffled through the envelopes. Bill. Bill. Advertisement for a lawn mowing service.

And something strange.

There was an envelope addressed to him. It was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp. That couldn't be right. Harry had no friends, no relatives, no one who would want to write to him. But there is was in clear writing.

 _Mr. H. Potter_

 _The Cupboard under the Stairs_

 _4 Privet Drive_

 _Little Whinging_

 _Surrey_

The letter was addressed to him. He took the mail to the kitchen, absentmindedly handing Uncle Vernon the other mail and flipping over his own letter to open it. It was sealed with wax and there was a strange coat of arms imprinted on the seal. Suddenly the letter was snatched from his hands by Dudley's fat hands.

He waved it in the air and his mouth moved as though he were yelling. Uncle Vernon looked up from the mail and snatched the letter from Dudley. He looked at it and scoffed, shredding it in his beefy hands. Harry's face fell as Uncle Vernon tossed the shredded letter in the garbage. Uncle Vernon pointed harshly at the list on the fridge. Harry's shoulders slumped and he walked back over to the list to see what his next task was.

Weed the garden.

 _Well, that's a little harder,_ Harry thought. He went out to the back yard and crouched next to the flowerbed and began pulling the weeds out of the ground. Half an hour later, his arms and legs shook as they bore his skeletal weight. Last time he ate was the day before yesterday, his punishment for burning the breakfast the morning before. _I just have to finish my chores and I'll get fed,_ Harry told himself.

When he had finished weeding the garden, he went back inside, wiping his brow on the back of his arm. There was a plate of nibbled on toast and a half-drunk glass of milk on the table. Aunt Petunia was gathering the dishes and putting them in the sink for him to wash. She pointed at the toast and milk, indicating that he was to eat it.

He shoved the toast in his mouth and chewed eagerly, finishing the plate and downing the milk in a matter of minutes. He carried the glass and plate over to the sink and started washing the dishes. The hot water scalded his hands but he knew better than to flinch or add cold water to make it more tolerable. He could see his aunt and uncle talking to each other in the living room and neither of them looked happy. Aunt Petunia threw him an ugly look and he ducked his head, scrubbing the frying pan in his hands faster.

"We can't take him with us!" Petunia whispered in outrage. "It'll ruin my Dudy's birthday!" She noticed the boy watching them and she glared at him. He ducked his head and went back to scrubbing the dishes.

"Well Mrs. Figg broke her leg, there's no way she can watch him," Vernon said. "And we can't just leave him home, he'll destroy the place."

"Now what?" Petunia asked.

"We could phone Marge," Vernon suggested.

"She hates the boy, she wouldn't take him," Petunia huffed.

Vernon sighed frustratedly and tugged on his thick mustache that often made him look like a walrus.

"I suppose we'll have to take him with us. We could leave him in the car…"

"The car's new, he's not staying in it alone," Vernon protested. Suddenly the doorbell rang.

"Oh goodness! They're here already!" Petunia said frantically.

Harry couldn't believe his luck when he found himself in the back of the car with Dudley and Piers, going to the zoo for the first time in his life. Before he had gotten in the car, Uncle Vernon had thrust a note in his hand.

 _Any funny business and you'll get the lashing of your life_. When Harry looked up, Vernon patted his belt buckle meaningfully and narrowed his beady eyes at him. Harry nodded in understanding.

The thing about Harry's life was that strange occurrences weren't uncommon by a long shot, much to the Dursley's despair. Once, Aunt Petunia had shaved off all Harry's hair, leaving only the bangs to cover his scar, but the next morning, all of his hair had grown back again, just as long as before. He had been locked in the cupboard for a week because of that despite Harry having no explanation for how it all grew back so quickly.

Another time, Aunt Petunia was trying to force Harry into one of Dudley's old sweaters. It was an ugly brown thing with orange puff balls all over it. It seemed that the harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it became until it was so small it would only have fit a doll. Aunt Petunia assumed that it must have shrunk in the wash and, much to Harry's relief, he wasn't punished for it.

There was also the time he was punished for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley and his friends enjoyed a wonderful game known as "Harry Hunting" and Harry was running from them when suddenly he found himself on the roof. He had no clue how he had gotten up there, but supposed when he went to jump behind the rubbish bins behind the building, the wind must have caught him and carried him up there, despite him having no recollection of the event.

Harry now watched in fascination as a motorbike drove past the car at a high speed. It reminded Harry of the dream he had had the night before of a flying motorcycle.

When they arrived at the zoo, Harry kept a careful distance from Piers and Dudley, especially when they started to get bored with the animals and he feared they would take to hitting him as entertainment. At lunch, they ate at the zoo restaurant. Dudley complained that his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top and Harry was allowed to finish the rest of it. After lunch, they went to the reptile house. Harry was instantly enthralled with the dimly lit atmosphere and felt the moist heat of the room sink into his skin with relish. Dudley and Piers were most interested with the poisonous cobras and pythons almost as thick as Dudley's arms. Harry was intrigued by all the animals contained behind walls of glass: lizards, snakes, turtles. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It was so big it could have wrapped around Uncle Vernon's car twice. Dudley pressed his nose against the glass and watched the brown, scaly creature. It was asleep. He tapped angrily on the glass. "Move! Come on! Do something! Dad, make it move!" Uncle Vernon wrapped on the glass with his beefy knuckles but the snake didn't react.

"This is boring," Dudley declared and moved on to the next tank. Harry walked up to the glass hesitantly, peering at the large reptile.

 _Poor thing. I bet he gets sick of people coming in every day, gawking at him. Tapping on the glass._ The snake raised its head and made eye contact with Harry. The snake jerked its head in the direction of Dudley and Uncle Vernon and appeared to roll its eyes. Harry didn't know it was possible for a snake to roll its eyes and was amazed.

The snake's face seemed to say, _I deal with that kind of thing all the time._ Harry smiled slightly at the snake.

 _I wonder where you're from,_ Harry wondered again in his head. The snake's tail flicked, drawing his attention to the small plaque telling about the snake. Bred in captivity. _Can you read my mind?_ Harry thought. The snake shook his head. _But how are you understanding me then?_ Harry mentally asked the snake. Suddenly, Harry was punched in the ribs and he fell to the ground as Dudley tried to get a better look at the snake now that it was moving. He and Piers had their faces pressed to the glass, gawking at the snake, which hissed in irritation. The next thing Harry knew, they were falling forward into the tank. The glass had simply disappeared.

The snake slithered out of the tank, leaving Dudley and Piers screaming as it nipped playfully at their ankles. Everyone was screaming and shrieking as the snake glided over the floor and out of the building.

The zoo director personally apologized to Aunt Petunia and brewed her a strong cup of sweetened tea to ease her nerves. He took statements from Dudley and Piers for the incident report and Piers said something that had all heads turning to Harry. "Harry was talking to the snake," he said innocently, but there was a gleam of malice in his eyes. "Weren't you, Harry?" Harry looked at everyone in confusion, unable to have heard the accusation.

He signed, _what?_

After dropping Piers off at his house, they went home. Harry knew from the look on Uncle Vernon's face that he was in trouble. When Uncle Vernon took off his belt and motioned Harry over, his spirits sank.

Harry had no clue how long he had been in the cupboard or how long he had gone without food. He only knew that his back ached like it never had before and that his sides ached with a pang of intense hunger.

When Harry was finally allowed out of his cupboard and given a plate of stale leftovers, he couldn't have been more relieved. After he hungrily gobbled up the food, Aunt Petunia pointed to his chores list on the fridge. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 8 in the morning. The first chore on his list was of course to get the mail. Uncle Vernon and Dudley came downstairs and Harry pressed himself close to the wall to stay out of their way. They both sat at the table and waited for Aunt Petunia to finish making breakfast. Harry fetched the mail from the hall. Bill. Bill. Junk mail. A letter from Uncle Vernon's work. And another one of those strange letters on the heavy parchment. Harry was determined to hide this one so he hid it under his shirt, tucking it into the waistband of his overly large pants, held up by one of Dudley's old belts so that it didn't fall to the floor as he carried the mail to the kitchen.

He handed the mail to Uncle Vernon and went to look at his chores list, but Dudley tripped him before he made it to the fridge and the letter went flying out of his waistband, landing on the floor. Dudley snatched it up before Harry had a chance to and went to open it, but Uncle Vernon ripped it from his hands and tore it to shreds before he was able to break the wax seal. He chucked the thing in the rubbish bin, sending a glare to Harry as he walked back to his seat at the table. Harry quickly rushed to the fridge and checked his list.

Scrub the bathroom tiles.

Harry's shoulders slumped as he fetched a bucket, scrubbing brush, and the floor cleaner from the cupboard under the sink where the cleaning supplies were kept. Harry set to completing his first task of the day.

Over the next few days, Harry wasn't allowed to fetch the mail. Uncle Vernon made sure to get the mail before letting him out of his cupboard, ensuring all of the letters were destroyed before Harry could even have a chance of opening one. They were coming in multitudes. Most of the time, the normal mail was buried under massive piles of these letters. One morning while Harry was scrubbing the dishes, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were speaking in hushed tones to each other in the living room.

"They know about him sleeping in the cupboard! What if those freaks come here and do something to us?" Uncle Vernon whispered. Dudley was away at one of his friend's houses, so he wasn't there to listen in on the conversation, but talking about this kind of thing seemed to taboo to do in a normal voice.

"We should move him. Maybe Dudikins will let us move him into his second bedroom," Petunia suggested.

"Why should our boy have to sacrifice his things for that little freak?!" Vernon asked angrily.

"Because maybe they'll leave us alone if we move him." Vernon took to pacing the living room as Petunia pinched the bridge of her nose in thought.

"Fine. We'll move him into Dudley's second bedroom for now, and when those freaks stop bothering us, we can move the boy back to the cupboard." Petunia nodded at Vernon's declaration.

"Alright. I'll break the news to Dudley when he gets back from his friend's house."

The next day, Harry found himself gathering his few possessions as he was moved to Dudley's second bedroom. Dudley threw a fit the entire time and hurled things across the room as all of his broken toys or things he got tired of were moved out of the second bedroom and into the bedroom he slept in. Harry didn't have many possessions, mostly hand-me-down clothes from Dudley that he could no longer fit into and a few toy soldiers that Dudley discarded.

The second bedroom had a small bed, a dresser, and a small desk that was originally Dudley's when he was younger for him to do his homework at but he was no longer able to use it as he was far too large now. Harry sat on the bed and looked around the room. He had never been on a bed before and he was surprised at how soft it was.

Downstairs, Petunia managed to calm Dudley down by bribing him with new toys and ice cream.

The next time the letters came, they didn't come with the regular mail. They were rolled up into the eggs that the milkman brought. They were once again addressed to Harry, but with some minor adjustments:

 _Mr. H. Potter_

 _The Smallest Bedroom_

 _4 Privet Drive_

 _Little Whinging_

 _Surrey_

Petunia and Vernon shared a look.

The letters kept coming in more and more bizarre ways. Uncle Vernon hammered a board over the mail flap, but the letters were just shoved under the door. They would be jammed through the small window in the bathroom, and soon Uncle Vernon was losing his mind. He called the post office dozens of times demanding that they start filtering those letters out of their mail, but the postmaster insisted that they didn't have any of those letters going through their system and that they must have been hand-delivered outside the umbrella of the postal service.

By Sunday, even Petunia and Dudley were getting scared.

"Sunday. Best day of the week, in my opinion. No post, no letters, no noth—" Vernon was cut off as something flew out of the chimney and hit him in the forehead. A letter. Vernon stood up and roared, "NO MORE LETTERS IN THIS RUDDY HOUSE!" He was once again interrupted by thirty more letters shooting out of the chimney like bullets, and they just kept coming. The Dursley's ducked and covered their faces, but Harry desperately tried to snatch one out of the air futilely. Vernon caught on to what he was doing and he snatched Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall. Dudley, Petunia, and Vernon rushed out of the hall after him. "WE'RE MOVING!" Vernon declared.

Uncle Vernon only allowed them half an hour to pack before he rushed everyone into the car and started driving. Dudley didn't even have the nerve to throw a temper tantrum when he was unallowed to pack his small television and all of his sports balls.

They were on the road for hours, eventually coming to a stop at a motel in the middle of nowhere. Vernon rented a room and they settled into the small room. There were only two beds, so Petunia and Vernon shared one and Dudley got the other. Harry slept on the floor.

In all honesty, Harry wasn't surprised when the owner approached their table the next day at breakfast, holding a familiar letter.

"Are any of you H. Potter? I've got about a hundred of these back at the front desk."

 _Mr. H. Potter_

 _Room 17_

 _Railview Hotel_

 _Cokeworth_

And so they promptly set back on the road.


	2. Chapter 2 (07-14 18:00:31)

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter, sadly.**

Chapter 1

Silence is a fickle thing. Often times, it can be deafening to those who are drowning in their thoughts. It is also the sweet relief to those who desire peace, so long as they have the peace already within them. Right now, Harry was drowning.

Hagrid led Harry to a large granite building with the word 'Gringots' carved into the sign. Harry gasped at the size. He'd never seen anything this big in his life. Hagrid walked him inside and up to one of the desks. Harry stood quietly as Hagrid explained the situation to the strange creature at the desk. He leaned in closely after a few words and handed him a letter. The creature took out a stick like the one Natasha had and waved it. Harry signed, _Can you understand me now?_

 _Yes, Mr. Potter. Allow me to show you to your vault._ He climbed down from his desk and Harry realized how short it was.

 _What are you? What's that stick you have there? A lot of people here seem to have one._ _I am a goblin, and this is a wand. Most magical beings need one to perform magic. After your visit here, I suspect Mr. Hagrid will take you to Mr. Olivander's to get yours._ _What's your name?_ _My name is Griphook._ _It's nice to meet you Griphook._ _The pleasure is mine, Mr. Potter. Follow me._

Harry followed the goblin to a door in the back of the expansive room. Hagrid followed behind, searching his pockets for something. They sat in what looked like old mining carts and Griphook pulled a lever that sent them flying forward. Harry felt the air running through his hair and beating against his face. It was almost painful moving so quickly.

They pulled to a jolting stop, and Harry tried his hardest to not throw up. Griphook walked over to a sizeable door with a single keyhole in the center of the door. Hagrid was still rifling through his pockets, and after a few small moments, pulled out a small golden key from one of them. He handed it to Griphook, who slid it into the keyhole and turned it. The floor under Harry's feet vibrated with the heavy door sliding against the stone floor. He posted inside once the dust settled.

Inside the door was gold and silver coins in piles and piles, some of them taller than him. Harry walked inside after Griphook. Hagrid took out a small coin purse out of his pocket and handed it to Harry. He wrote on the notebook, _Harry, these here are galleons._ He set a golden coin next to the name. _This is a sickle._ He set a smaller silver coin next to that name. _And this is a knut._ He set a copper coin much like a penny next to the last name. _You'll need a good handful or two of each._ Harry complied and gathered the coins. Hagrid nodded happily and motioned for him to come back to the mining cart.

Another sickening ride later, they stopped in front of another vault. Hagrid motioned for him to stay put. Griphook unlocked the door with a stroke of his finger. Hagrid took a small package from inside and slipped it into his pocket. Griphook locked the door without a key, but instead with a stroke of his finger, like the way he had opened it. He then climbed back into the cart and they traveled back to the main foyer where he waved them off.

Hagrid guided Harry to a load of different stores, buying books, quills and ink (Hagrid said they were for writing), a cauldron (for potion brewing), a wand (that took forever, and Mr. Olivander's weren't the easiest lips to read.) Finally, they went to the robe shop. Hagrid couldn't fit through the door, so he went to go pick up a few more things they forgot.

He entered the shop and looked around. There was fabric everywhere! Pin cushion, scissors and measuring tape floated around the room, measuring cloth, cutting it, and pinning it to dresses and what Hagrid called "robes". He noticed a boy his age with startlingly pale blonde hair standing on a small stool, getting his school robes sewn. The last thread was tied off and he stepped down. He noticed Harry and started to speak, so Harry read his lips. _Hogwarts too?_ Harry nodded.

He signed, _Do you speak sign?_ The blonde boy looked startled before nodding excitedly.

 _My mother taught me. She had a friend at school who was deaf._

 _Finally! No one seems to speak it here, and it's really slow writing everything down I want to say!_ The boy nodded.

 _I'm Draco Malfoy. What's your name?_

 _Harry Potter. Nice to meet you Draco._ Harry stuck his hand out to shake. Draco shook it with a smile. He had a nice smile, Harry thought.

 _Do you want to be friends?_ Draco nodded, his smile growing. The lady who was making Draco's robes just a minute ago walked over and tapped Harry on the shoulder. He signed, _I'm deaf,_ to which Draco translated.

 _This is madam Malkins. She wants to know if you're here for school robes._ Harry nodded. She guided him to the stand and Draco followed. She took his measurements and set to making the robes. When madam Malkins finished, which was very quickly, Harry paid and Draco asked him, _What Hogwarts house do you think you'll be in?_

 _I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure what you mean. I don't know much about Hogwarts._ _Well, when you get there, you'll be sorted into a house. There's S-L-Y-T-H-E-R-I-N, G-R-Y-F-F-I-N-D-O-R, R-A-V-E-N-C-L-A-W, and H-U-F-F-L-E-P-U-F-F. In want to be in Slytherin. Merlin the Great was I that house! My dad and mum were too!_ _I want to be in Slytherin! Especially if you'll be in it with me! Harry signed excitedly. Draco smiled again. Draco turned, apparently to a sound, and Harry looked with him. Hagrid stood at the door, waving to Harry. I have to go. Will I see you at Hogwarts?_ _I can do better! I'll sit with you on the train. Deal?_

 _Deal._ Harry agreed. He smiled at Draco again and waved goodbye. He waved back, the smile bright on his face. Hagrid held up a cage with a owl inside, then handed him a note.

 _It's an owl! You can use her to send post. Happy late birthday, Harry._ Harry and thanked him on the paper. Hagrid smiled and took him back through the Leaky Cauldron and back into Muggle London. They ride the Underground to a street near Kings Cross, earning them a lit of odd stares, thanks to Hagrid's size and Harry's owl, which he named Hedwig. He saw the name in the book History of Magic.

Hagrid pulled out the crumpled piece of paper from earlier and wrote, _I have to head back to Hogwarts and report to Dumbledore. This ticket will get you on the train, just be there by 11:00. I'll see you later._ Hagrid smiled at Harry, pat his back, and walked off. By the time Harry remembered to ask for his book back, Hagrid was gone.

Harry stood at Kings Cross station, looking for platform 9 3/4. He tried asking a few people, but none of them spoke sign, and Hagrid stool had his notebook. When he saw a flash of platinum blonde hair, he followed after, but it soon disappeared. What he saw in place of that was fiery red hair. There was a lot of it.

There was a stout woman wearing a funny flower print dress was hurrying what looked to be her children towards a brick wall. He walked over and rugged on her sleeve. Her lips read, _Why hello dear! How can I help you?_

He showed her his ticket, and she said, _Oh! Right this way, just follow my son, Ron. My name is Molly, Molly Weasley. It's his first year as well! Just run straight at the wall, go fast if you're scared, and you should pass right through._ She gestured to a thin freckled boy around his age. Harry pushed his cart, following the boy. He ran at the brick, and Harry began to feel a sense of panic, that was until Ron disappeared through the wall. He followed right behind, and passed through.

He was instantly hit with a swirl of color and light. There was a bright red train that dozens of young witches and wizards were boarding. He thanked Mrs. Weasley with a smile, wave, and nod. He pulled his trunk and Hedwig's cage off of the cart and boarded the train. Again he saw that flash of platinum blonde hair, but this time he could see Draco's face. He waved and Draco spotted him. Harry read his lips and he told the boy he was taking to previously that he'd see him later. He hurried over to Harry and they found an empty compartment. He sat next to Harry and they feel into cheerful conversion.

 _Hey, Harry!_

 _Hi Draco!_

 _My mum got me a new broom for playing Quidditch. Of course first years can't play, but I can still race during the breaks._

 _What's Quidditch?_

 _Oh! I forgot! It's a wizard sport. There are seven people on each team. Three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and one Seeker. There are five balls. Three are B-L-U-D-G-E-R-S, they chase you around and try to knock you off your broom. One Q-U-A-F-F-L-E, that's the ball you score points with, and one S-N-I-T-C-H. The snitch is a small golden ball with wings that flies around the pitch while the Seeker tries to catch it. The Beaters hit the bludgers away from their teammates and try to hit the other team. The Keeper guards the hoops that the other team can score points with. The Chasers try to get the quaffle through the other team's hoops. The game ends when the Seeker catches the snitch._

 _That sounds so cool! Can you teach me how to play some time?_

 _Sure. Like I said, first years aren't allowed to play, but a can still use the pitch. We have flying as a mandatory course this year. I can teach you during breaks or at lunch._ Harry smiled. Draco turned to the door, and Harry followed his eyes. Ron was standing in the doorway to the compartment.

Harry read his lips. _Can I sit here?_ Harry nodded and beckoned him in. He sat across from Harry and started talking quickly.

Harry quickly signed Draco, _I can't understand him!_ Draco turned to Ron.

Harry read his lips _. He's deaf and you're taking to quickly for him to understand._ Ron looked at Harry in shock.

Harry signed, _Hi. I'm Harry Potter. You're Ron, right?_ Harry watched as Ron's eyes widened as Draco translated. Ron nodded and introduced himself, which Draco translated since he was still taking too fast. They talked for a bit, and a girl with curly brown hair and dark skin walked into the compartment. She said a few words and Draco shook his head. She said something else that Harry could read.

 _You should put your robes on. We'll be arriving soon._ Draco nodded and looked to Harry. He signed that he understood and got his robes out. Draco got himself his own out and they went to the back of the train to change.

Harry and Draco shared a boat to the castle. As they waited on the staircase as professor McGonagall explained how the sorting worked. Harry read her lips and picked up, _In a few moments, I will guide you into the Great Hall. That I'd where you will eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner here at Hogwarts. You'll be called in alphabetical order by last name. When you are called, you will walk up and sit on the stool at the front. The Sorting Hat will be placed on you had and you'll be sorted into one of four houses. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Come along now._

She ushered then into what she called the Great Hall and they lined up. Draco whispered something to Ron, and he nodded. Kids were called up and sorted one by one. Eventually, Draco was called up. The Sorting Hat barely touched his head before it shouted something. Harry couldn't make our what it was, but Draco smirked and walked to a table with a green snake on the banner above it. Must be Slytherin then. A few more people were called and sorted. Everyone was looking around and, as it looked like to Harry, whispering to each other. Ron smacked his forehead and pushed Harry forward _. It's your turn,_ he said slowly. Harry nodded and walked up.

The hat was placed on his head and it spoke to him. It was different from the spell others had used. It was like it was actually speaking to him. _Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes-and a nice thirst to prove yourself, note that's interesting... So where shall I put you?_

 _Slytherin, please be Slytherin. I want to be with Draco._ _Ah, I see. SLYTHERIN!_

 **I seem to have a knack for these cliffhangers. Well, hopefully the chapters will be coming faster thanks to my wonderful new beta, The Slytherin Queen!!! Shout out to how awesome she is for offering, the gods know I needed the help! The chapters will get longer, I promise, but I'm working on a surprise for you guys!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

"Slytherin!" The Sorting Hat hollered. The Hat was removed from his head and he saw everyone shifting in their seats and looking at each other rather uncomfortably. Draco was waving him over, and he sat right next to him.

 _Harry asked, why does everyone look so upset?_

Draco rolled his eyes. _Not many people like Slytherin's. You-Know-Who was in this House. Just because of one bad wizard, they've branded all of us as evil. We know the truth though. Merlin was in this house! He was the best wizard there ever was!_

Harry nodded in agreement. _I've heard of him!_

 _See what I mean!_ Draco exclaimed. He was taking with his mouth as well as his hands. People normally did that when they were excited from Harry's experiences. _You were raised by Muggles, right? That's what everyone says, and you still know about him!_

 _I don't know what a Muggle is,_ Harry signed apologetically.

 _It's a non-magical person,_ Draco explained.

 _Yeah, I grew up with Muggles then._

The boy Draco was talking to on the train tapped Draco and asked him, "What are you doing? Who is that?" He pointed to Harry.

Draco responded, "This is Harry, and we're speaking sign language. He's deaf."

 _Harry, this is Blaise Zabini. His mother is friends with my mother._ Draco introduced them.

 _Hi, I'm Harry. Harry Potter._ Draco translated. Blaise's eyes widened momentarily before he shook Harry's hand. Draco and Blaise suddenly looked to the front, and Harry looked as well. A strange men with twinkling blue eyes stood at a podium that wasn't there seconds before. He seemed to be giving a speech, so Harry looked around him. The man had a very long beard, so Harry couldn't read his lips. The ceiling looked like it was made of glass. The starry sky shone through it and candles floated overhead, giving light to the massive room. When he noticed everyone standing, He followed suit and looked where Draco was looking. The man in the front had conjured a giant ribbon and words to what looked to be a poem or a song flashed across it. Judging by everyone's lips moving, it was a song.

Draco nudged him with his shoulder and signed, _you should be thankful you can't hear this! It's absolutely horrid!_ Harry gave him a small smile. When everyone slowly sat down, Harry followed suit. The man at the front sat down and the empty platters in front of them filled with food. Everyone started filling their plates. Harry looked to Draco and saw he was filling his plate too. Harry eyed the food cautiously. Was he allowed to eat?

 _Aren't you hungry?_ Harry nodded.

 _Then eat!_ Draco encouraged. Harry nodded and filled his plate slowly, waiting for retribution. There was none. He ate quickly, trying to finish before the plate was taken. He managed to keep his face and clothes clean in his haste. When he didn't at the Dursley's, he was punished. Soon his plate was empty.

Draco looked at him oddly and signed, _Slow down, you'll get sick! It's not like anyone's going to take it away from you!_ He smiled.

Harry looked at him anxiously. _They're not?_

Draco's smile faded. _No, why would you think that?_ Harry's mouth suddenly felt like cotton and looked down at his plate. A lump built up in his throat.

 _It's nothing, don't worry._ Harry slowly looked up when he was sure he wasn't going to cry. Draco had a sour face now. Did he say something wrong?

 _What's wrong?_ Harry signed nervously. Draco shook his head.

 _It's not nothing. You shouldn't have to be afraid to eat. You can tell me anything, you know,_ Draco assured him. The sour face was gone. In its place was a look of concern. _Was it the Muggles you lived with?_

 _The Dursley's. They didn't like me. I guess they didn't like that I'm deaf, or that I have magic. I'm not really sure._ Harry pushed his plate away. It had magically refilled itself. He wasn't hungry anymore. Slowly, people finished eating around him. Draco nudged his shoulder lightly and smiled.

 _It's going to be okay. I'll write my mom about it. She has ties to the Ministry so she can help you._ He seemed so confident! Maybe he was right. But Natasha had already tried to help, and all that did was nearly get her fired. The food disappeared and more food took its place. This was the desert course. Draco took a blue macaroon and bit into it. Harry hesitantly did the same with a green one. It was the best thing he'd ever tasted. Natasha once brought him a candy bar and he ate it when Dudley wasn't around, but this was better! It was soft and sweet, but not too sweet. The frosting was fluffy and creamy, it was the best thing he'd ever eaten. Harry didn't eat anything else after that. His stomach already hurt from eating so much.

A little while later, the man with the beard stood up again and said something else. Soon, the floor vibrated with all of the benches scraping way from the table and thousands of feet hitting the cobblestone. Harry stood with Draco and followed everyone out of the Great Hall. They walked through the large corridors and came to stairs heading downward.

 _Where are we going?_ Harry asked.

 _To the dormitories. It's where we'll sleep and stuff._ Harry nodded.

The staircases above them were moving around in a seemingly unpredictable pattern. The pictures on the walls were moving and talking to each other. _Draco look! They move!_ Draco smiled and nodded.

 _Of course they move! Do Muggles not have moving pictures?_ Draco asked.

 _No, Muggle pictures don't move. We have videos though!_ Draco looked confused but Harry wasn't paying attention anymore. Harry watched as a silvery figure drifted through a wall. Harry jumped and Draco explained that it was a ghost. They came to a stop in front of a stone wall. One of the older students said something and the bricks moved away. Harry gasped lightly and Draco looked at him. Harry was staring in awe at the room. The Slytherin crest adorned a banner above the mantle. The armchairs and the couch were grey, and there was a coffee table in front of the couch. A small fire crackled in the fireplace, the flames burning green. If they had looked closely at the windows on the far wall that lined a cosy alcove, they'd realize that they were directly under the lake.

Draco smiled at Harry's expression. It was as if all of his fear had melted away for the time being. He wanted to see Harry like this all the time. One of the older boys turned to the first years, there weren't many, and said, "This is the common room. The boy's dormitories are down the left hall and the girls are in the right. The washrooms are inside your rooms and upstairs are the dorms for second through seventh years. Second floor for second years, third years on the third, etcetera. You each have one roommate, and your rooms have your names on the door. If you have an issue, take it up with our Head of House, Professor Snape. That should be it."

Harry had read the boy's lips and understood. He took Draco's hand and walked down the left hall. Draco was shocked at the gesture but didn't object. He relished Harry's trust in him. They looked for their names on the doors and found a surprise at the end of the hall. They were roommates. Draco opened the door and Harry walked in after him. Their trunks were at the foot of their four poster beds. The sheets were silky grey and the duvet was green. Heavy curtains were hanging ready to be pulled shut for privacy. Draco checked out the bathroom while Harry examined his bed. It was so big! The room was much bigger than his cupboard. He'd never been on a bed before, at least not from what he remembered. There was a bed stand with a candle-lit lamp on it and two drawers in the front. Harry opened the drawers and saw they were empty. Draco walked out of the bathroom and gestured for Harry to check it out with him. Inside was a gigantic bathtub with serpent handles and a snake-shaped showerhead and faucet. A double sink was on the wall by the door. The vanity mirror covered a good portion of the wall above the double sinks. The granite counter was black and there was a window that appeared to be submerged underwater.

 _What's up with the window?_ Harry asked.

 _We're under the lake right now._ Draco answered.

 _Woah._ Harry gazed out the window in awe as the giant squid swam past them. Draco watched Harry's amazed face. His bright green eyes were lit up in excitement and the tense look his face usually held was gone. Replacing it was a private smile that made something in Draco's stomach flutter. Why did Harry make him feel like this?

Harry looked back to Draco and that smile widened. They walked back to the room and Harry sat with Draco on his bed. _We need to find a way to talk in class without sign language. I don't think the teachers will approve,_ Draco signed. Harry nodded.

 _Natasha, one of my communications aids, helped me learn a way so we weren't disruptive during class. She would trace the words on the back of my hand and I'd respond the same way with my answer._ Harry said.

 _Why did you need a communications aid?_ Draco asked, puzzled.

 _Hardly anyone knows sign at my old school. It's really annoying, mostly._ He smiled and knocked shoulders playfully with Draco. He then took Draco's hand in his own and with his other hand, traced a message on the back of the pale skin with his finger. _Can you understand this?_ Harry traced. Draco nodded and flipped their hands over so he could trace on Harry's hand.

 _Yeah, but start slow so I can get used to reading it. I'm new to this._ Harry nodded this time. _We should go to bed now though. We have class tomorrow._ Harry nodded and they both got ready for bed. After brushing their teeth and changing into their pyjamas, they climbed into their beds and pulled their curtains shut. Both boys were fast asleep after their heads hit the pillows.

Draco awoke in the middle of the night to a strange noise. He lifted himself up onto his elbows and looked around. His curtains were pulled shut but the noise was clearly coming from Harry's bed. He was whimpering. Draco leapt from bed and practically ran to Harry's bed and ripped his curtains open. Harry was sleeping, but clearly having a stressful dream. He tossed and turned, small whimpers escaping his normally silent lips. Draco touched his shoulder and shook him awake. Harry say bolt upright at the contact and scooted away in fear. When he saw it was only Draco, his tense body relaxed and his shoulders slumped. His expression remained guarded. Draco traced on his hand, _Are you ok? It looked like you were having a bad dream._

Harry nodded and replied on Draco's hand, _Yeah. It was just a dream though, I'm fine. I have them all the time._

Draco looked at Harry for a moment before asking, _So do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?_ Harry nodded minutely.

Draco scooped the too-skinny boy up in his arms and carried him to his bed. _What are you doing?_ Harry didn't really care. He just wondered why Draco was carrying him.

 _Carrying you to bed obviously, Potter. You look too tired to walk._ Draco smirked playfully and Harry laughed. Soon after the beautiful sound escaped his lips, He covered his mouth in shock and blushed. His eyes filled with a mixture of terror and embarrassment. Draco felt himself fill with seething anger. This boy had been hurt so badly, he was afraid to laugh. If he ever got his hands on these "Dursley's" Draco would rip them limb from limb. _Harry, no one's going to hurt you ever again. I swear it on my life._ He set Harry on his bed and held him in a tight embrace. Harry was stiff at first, but soon wrapped his arms around Draco and hugged him back. They laid down and got comfortable side by side. When sleep was seconds from engulfing Draco, He felt Harry's warm hand creep over and take his own.

Draco squeezed it gently and promptly fell asleep.

 **Sorry this took so long! Digital detox took forever and then there was the groundings and the writer's block! I've started the next chapter for Soulmates to help with my writer's block and I have the plot sorted out in my brain. No promises on the posting date and again I'm sorry the updates are so sporadic! I hope some of you stayed with this! Just warning you now, this is going all the way to 7th year and an epilogue after that! I know exactly how this is going to run and what will happen each year, unlike Soulmates which I have a loose plot for.**


	4. I SWEAR I'M NOT DITCHING THIS FIC!

**Hey, it's Satan!**

 **Ok I swear I am not ditching this fic, life has just been busy and I'm rewriting it. I had a lot of plans for this and a certain mood I wanted to set with my writing and I didn't meet my own standards. I swear I am going to finish this fic. It's finals week (month really, at my school and with all the advanced classes I'm taking that want to kill me slowly) and I'm trying my best to get all of my finals finished (one of my classes have individualized lesson plans so we choose what we study, the only similarity being the format for the final, and my college art class has two final projects so we don't just take a test. Good news though, I just passed my History final {one of them} like five minutes ago and I'm writing this in my free time) but yeah, I'm not abandoning this. I want to finish it as much as you want it finished.**

 **I'll probably be updating Soulmates soon, I'm still not sure where I want to end the chapter at. I'll know the ending when I see it, though. Love you guys, byeee!**


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